Lock nut



y 1954 E., c. CRQWTHER 2,684,704

LOCK NUT Filed June- 6, 1952 42207 M acwwzz Patented July 27, 1954 UNITED ATENT OFFICE LOCK NUT Edmond C. Crowther, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Illinois Tool Works, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois 5 Claims.

The present invention relates to lock nuts, and more specifically to lock nuts, wherein superposed apertured plate members render the device self-locking when applied to a complementary fastener element.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple, relatively inexpensive, one-piece lock nut made from sheet material, which may be easily manufactured, which may be quickly assembled with a complementary fastener element, such as a screw or unthreaded stud, and which is constructed to provide very efiicient locking characteristics.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a lock nut of the above described type, wherein the self-locking quality is increased by laterally displacing the superposed plate members relative to each other to oifset the axes of theirapertures and by connection marginal edges of the plate members by a resilient hinge, so

that opposite sides of the apertures firmly grip the surface of an assembled fastener element, such as a screw or stud.

Another object of this invention is to construct a lock nut of the type described above, so that it may be readily grasped by hand or tool for applying pressure to bring the apertures into alignment for easy application of a fastener element thereto and for turning the nut onto the fastener.

Still another object of this invention is to construct a lock nut of the above described type wherein the margins of the apertures are formed to provide helical screw accommodating threads, so that axial displacement between the plate members is restrained, whereby the threads of the plate members are spaced the correct distance for receiving the threads of a complementary screw element.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view partially broken away, showing one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section takenalong line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is similar to Fig. 2, but shows'the plate members of the lock nut aligned after application of pressure in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 2, but shows the lock nut assembled with a work piece by an unthreaded stud;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showing a modified form of a lock nut, involving the present invention;

Fig. 6 is similar to Figs. 1 and 2 and shows another embodiment of the lock nut;

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross section taken along line 1-! in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is similar to Fig. 7, but shows the lock nut assembled with a work piece by a threaded screw element;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view, showing another embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective View, showing stillanother modified form of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like parts in the several embodiments are designated by the same numerals, with the sufiix a, b, c, et cetera, added as the case may be, Fig. 1 shows a lock nut l2 formed of a single piece of sheet material, which is preferably sheet metal.

The nut 12 includes superposed plate members 14 and I6, having complementary fastener element receiving openings I8 and 20 therein. The plate members are connected along adjacent marginal edges by a resilient hinge or wall portion 22, which extends upwardly from the plate member 56 to a point above the surface of the plate member I l. The hinge 22 terminates m an inwardly and downwardly directed flange 2a, which merges along its terminal edge with the plate member 14. This formation of the'hinge 22 in effect increases the length of the. hinge, while permitting the plate members i 4 and it to be disposed relatively closely together, as shown best in Figs. -2,' 3, and 4. As shown in Fig. 2, the plate members It and I6 are laterally displaced relative to each other to offset the axes of the apertures I8 and 26. Therefore, when a complementary. fastener element, such as the unthreaded stud 26, is applied to the nut l2, as shown in Fig. 4, the resilient hinge 22 urges the plate members to the original laterally displaced positions shown in Fig. .2, thereby causing the offset edges of the apertures I8 and 2G to firmly grip the sides of the shank of the stud 2t. Because of the above described increased length in the hinge 22, the resiliency thereof is sufiicient to allow the plate members 14 and it to be relatively easily moved laterally of each other. Furthermore, by adjusting the length of the flange 24, and thereby the length of the hinge 22, any desired degree of resiliency or stiffness may be given to the hinge.

In the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 through 4:, the walls of the apertures are defined by coined edges 28 and 30 to facilitate engagement with either a threaded screw or an unthreaded stud. As shown in Pig. 4, the coined edges 28 and 33, which are preferably hardened, cut into the portion 58..

upturned flange 34 extending from the plate member 16 along the outer marginal edge of the plate l4. As shown best in Figs. 2, 3, and 4,

the flange 34 is spaced fromx-thez-marginal edge of the plate member [4, soathattrthemabove de scribed lateral movement between the plate members may take place. Flange .35 is. provided, extending from the plate member M on the opposite side of the nut from the flange 35. When it is desired to align the openings l3 and 28 for the insertion of the fastener element, it is merely necessar to apply pressure :to-the flanges 34 and 35 inthe directioneof the arrows shown in Fig. 3 by either a tool or by-the hand. It is readily seenthat the relatively broad cuter surfaces offianges -34-'and..36 may be much more readily grasped to supply such pressure than would the relativelyanarrow edges of the plate members if the. ilangeswere not-provided. Furthermore, the-flanges. and 3'6 provide surfaces which may be :easily grasped .by a tool used to turn .the nutontoa fastener element or to hold the .nutwhilea fastener element is applied thereto. In addition, the side. edges 38 and 4B of the fiangesand the. opposed surface of the hinge 22 may be utilized as. surfaces to which a tool may be applied to turnthe nut onto a fastener element;

As indicated .by like numerals, the lock. .nut l2-a, shown in Fig.5, is substantially identical to the nut 12.- In this embodiment, however, the mid portions of. the plate members around the apertures are .deformedaxially to shape their edges as and...48.fo'r.. engagement with helical screw threadsifl of the screw 52 shown in Fig. 8. In order to allowtheedges .46 andllfi to be formed in the shape of. a helical convolution, the members are cut .awayas at 54 and 56. In order to assure the correctaxial spacing of the edges :35 and 43- to. receive the screw threads 55, the plate member i4 is .provided with a depressed Thedepressed portion 58 provides an abutment, which. engagesv the. plate member thus provid'ingan accurate minimum axial spacing between theedges 46 and :18.

The lock nut 42-h, shown in. Fig. 6, is identical to that shown in.Fi'g. 5, except that a locking tab or hook 6b is provided, which extends outwardly i'romthe plate member lE-b and thence over the outwardly ,facing surface of the depressed portion 584;. The locking tab 6i] is provided for thev purpose-of preventing axial separation. of the plate members, which separation would cause the screwengaging edges 46-1) and it-b to become improperly. spaced, so that the applictaion of ..a screw element to the nut would be difiicult. As shown inFig. 6, the Width cf the tab 60 is 'lessthan the .lengthof the depressed portion 58-h, so that the tab will not interfere'with the desired lateral movement between theplate members-"during assembly of a screw element."

' 9 shows a lock nut. IZ-c, which is identical tethe lock nut l2, except that the locking tabtEB-c extends from :the. plate member ld-c and overlies the outwardly facing. surfaceof the plate member l4-c. As in the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the locking tab -0 prevents axial separation of the plate members, which would render the assembly of either a threaded or unthreaded fastener element thereto very difiicult.

Fig. 10 shows a modified form of the embodiment of Fig. 9 in:.that the locking tab Elkd is struck from the flange 34-01. This embodiment has advantage over the lock nut 2-0 in that a saving in material is effected by reason of the striking of the tab from the flange fi l-d, rather than providing a separate element extending from the plate member.

From"the above description, it is seen that a r simple lock nut is provided, which may be easily manufactured. from. a single piece of sheet material, which has very efiicient self-locking characteristics and which may be easily grasped by a tool or by hand to be assembled with a complementary fastener element. Furthermore; relatively easy assembly with ascrew fa'stener is always assured, because-of the provision of means for maintaining the platemembers in predetermined axial spaced relationship.

WhileI have described'and illustrated several embodiments cfv the presentinvention herein, it is obvious-that many structural changes may be made in the details of thelcck nut without'departing fromthe spirit and scope cf the appended claims.

I claim:-

1. A lock nut made from a strip of sheet/material including-a pair'of superposed plate members .havinglaterally offset apertures defining lelical stud engaging impressions. of substantial peripheral extent therein, resilient hinge means connecting adjacentmarginal edges of said plate members whereby saidplate members may be laterally displaced relative to each other to align said apertures for. insertion of a complementary fastener element, said. superposed plate members being disposed in predetermined axial spaced relationship.,to-insure continuity of one helical impression with: the other, and. integral tab means extending from one of said: plate members having a portion thereof overlying an outwardly facing,v surface of said: second plate member for maintainingthe predetermined maximum axial spaced relationship while allowing lateral relativev movement between said plate members.

2.. A locknut, as defined in claim 1, which includes projection uneans extending from one of said plate ,members for engaging an inwardly facing surface -ofthe other of said plate members and maintainingia predetermined minimum axially -spaced..relationship between said plate members.

3. A lock nut, as defined in claim 1, which includes flange means extending axially from a margin of said one plate member, said tab means being struck from said flangemeans, and a second flange means disposed oppositely from said first mentioned flange means and extending axially from said second plate member, said flange'means providing relatively'broad surfaces to which pressure may be applied to laterally displace said plate members relative to each other to align said apertures for insertion of a complementary fastener element;

4. A lock nut, as defined in claim 1, wherein the helical stud engaging impressions include helically deformed edges of substantial periph eral. extent in the vicinity. of each of the apertures and on their opposed margins with the co1-- lective peripheral extent of said helically de- Number Name Date formed edges totaling less than 360. 1,194,944 Brown Aug. 15, 1916 5. A look nut, as defined in claim 1, wherein 1,957,042 Grant May 1, 1934 said resilient hinge means includes an extension 2,338,754 Bonas Jan. 11, 1944 projecting from the marginal edge of one of said 5 2,378,684 Carlstrom June 19, 1945 plate members to a point above the other plate 2,405,925 Poupitch 'Aug. 13, 1946 member, and a flange extending downwardly from said extension and merging with the other FOREIGN PATENTS plate member, whereby the resiliency of the Number coufltry Date hinge is increased. 10 Austraha 1930 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 15 134,489 Rouse Dec. 31, 1872 

